Cereal Pie

Given that my last two posts have been a Cinnamon Raisin Cereal Pudding and the Maple Almond Butter Toasty Bowl, both cereal concoctions, it was rather fortuitous that I recently received free samples of two new products from Special K as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program.

First up, Blueberry Fruit Crisps.

These are 100-calorie snacks that are eerily similar to Pop Tarts, though quite a bit lighter, of course.

They’re very sweet and pastry-like, but not really my thang. When snack time rolls around, I’m still more likely to reach for a Lara Bar.

The other product Special K sent me was their new honey granola. This I can work with.

I decided to give it a try Saturday morning. Since Saturday was also National Pie Day, I figured why not have my cereal and pie at once?

And this is what such a thing looks like:

I shall consider this perhaps my magnum opus of cereal creations. Three different layers of cereal mixtures and textures combined for a breakfast experience that probably seems like a lot of unnecessary effort to anyone used to just eating their cereal with milk. And yet, eating cereal with milk is like us using only 10% of our brains—consider the untapped potential!

Cereal Pie

Crust Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean (or other similar cereal)
• 1/2 cup kamut puffs (or other puffed cereal)
• 2 tbsp almond butter (or other nut butter)
• 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 2 tbsp water

Instructions:

1. Grind cereal into a flour in your blender or food processor. Transfer to a small bowl.
2. Mix in nut butter and flax mixture so that you have a workable “dough”. Add more water if still too dry to shape.
3. Press dough mixture into a shallow bowl to form a thin crust (mine was about 7-8 inches wide). Place in refrigerator to set while you prepare the filling.

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup wheat bran (or additional 1/4 cup oats)
• 1/4 cup milk (non-dairy or otherwise)
• 3/4 cup water
• lots of cinnamon
• sweetener to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine all filling ingredients in a small sauce pan on the stove top and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, stirring often.
3. When the mixture is no longer runny, turn off stove and remove pan from heat. Let stand 5 minutes or so.
4. Take crust out of the fridge and spread oat filling over top. Sprinkle with granola, if desired.

Serves 1

Who says cereal isn’t filling?

I wish I could gaze upon this cereal-scape every morning, but alas, it’s more of a weekend kind of breakfast. The blender definitely hibernates Monday through Friday.

The blender has a pretty good gig.

I think I honored National Pie Day the best I could, given my fear of those refrigerated pie crusts that you have to unfold and un-crease. I also have yet to attempt a legit fruit pie with a latticed crust on top and everything. That’s just crazy talk. Seriously, just hand me the Fruity Pebbles and I’ll come up with something better.

And yes, this pie required at least 11% of my brain.

What’s your favorite kind of pie?